Two fantastic books – all about points of view
Further to last week’s points of view post – and at the risk of sounding like a BBC programme, I’ve read two books recently that really brought home to me how important a tool points of view can be if used well.
Quick disclaimer – please don’t start either book without having set aside enough time to finish it. One cost me a night’s sleep, and the other had to be squeezed around various deadlines, doctor’s appointments and the like..
Close to home, a friend has had her first novel published, the excellently creepy TIDELINE by Penny Hancock. I’ll try not to give too much away, but the central character – Sonia – is somewhat detached from reality, and becomes more so. Penny has written the novel in the first person – and also in the present tense, and in doing so, sucks you so thoroughly into Sonia’s mindset that the occasional interludes by Sonia’s friend Helen (3rd person, past tense) feel like an irritating distraction.
Interestingly she doesn’t set up a dichotomy of ‘Sonia deluded’ versus ‘Helen sane’ – rather she allows for Helen’s equally individual take on reality to be part of what the reader picks up on. If you’ve not read a copy yet – put it to the top of your list.
Jonathan Frantzen’s FREEDOM has been widely acclaimed (and shortlisted amusingly for both the Good and Bad Sex writing awards last year!) and he breaks all the rules when it comes to points of view. The novel’s events are described from the point of view of several of the main characters, at least six of them in fact.
Again this multiplicity of views gives the lie to the idea that one is the ‘correct’ version. He moves the plot forward, so no one event gets repeated directly, although they are often alluded to. The main premise of the book – again – trying not to give too much away – is that no-one can really tell what a marriage’s dynamic is from the outside. I enjoyed the sections where a neighbour or neighbours were gaining clues on how the Berglunds operated through the usual neighbourly interactions, something we are all guilty of.
So what have these rave reviews got to do with your writing? If you’re struggling with points of view, you could do a lot worse than read these two books to see how these authors have tackled it. And they’re such good books to read, it’s like doing homework you enjoy!
January 30, 2012
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